Selections from Christian- book.com

Does God belong in the public arena of politics, business, law, and education? Or is religion a private and personal matter only? Pearcey challenges 21st-century believers to overcome our cultural double-mindedness and learn to "think Christianly" about secular topics. The new study guide offers practical hands-on steps for crafting a full-orbed, faith-based worldview. 512 pages, hardcover from Crossway Books.

Written in the waning days of the Roman era, Augustine's Confessions are the moving diary of a soul's journey. From his earliest memories of childhood, through his turbulent and licentious youth, to his resolute conversion at the age of 32, Augustine traces a pilgrimage of unbounded grace. Throughout, he passionately addresses the spiritual questions that have engaged thoughtful minds since time began.

Have you ever wondered how a "nice" person like you could be so misunderstood, even hurtful? Tripp gets right to the heart of our communication problems and shows how the gospel changes the way we understand and solve them. Learn to bless others with your speech and in so doing, be blessed yourself. 245 pages, softcover from Presbyterian & Reformed.

Historic Church Documents(Includes Reformed confessions) Link list courtesy of the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics

Patrick Henry CollegeA classical Christian liberal arts college dedicated to training those who will lead our nation and shape our culture with biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding.

No Gardens on a Summer's Day

Most of us have been in nursing homes and seen how severely disabled people, such as victims of strokes or profoundly retarded people, are treated. They are given as much stimulation as possible. If they are able to be in a wheelchair--even if they must be strapped in--they are brought to recreational areas to be around other people. Perhaps your church's youth group has visited a nursing home at Christmas time and sung Christmas carols for nursing home residents, including some profoundly disabled people. If you visit a nursing home on a nice spring or summer day, perhaps you will see residents outside in their wheelchairs enjoying the sights and sounds of a courtyard garden. Some patients can be seen in their rooms, seated before a television set. Bright flowers decorate some rooms, and colorful cards from family and friends sit on the window sill or children's drawings hang from a bulletin board on the wall.

Besides these stimulations, many patients are given therapy when there is reason to hope for improvement in cognitive, speech, or physical abilities. A specialist, such as a clinical neurophysiologist will evaluate patients in order to determine which such therapies would be appropriate for a patient.

Does Terri Schiavo ever enjoy a courtyard garden, visit a recreation room, or even sit in a wheelchair and watch television? Apparently she does not. She is restricted to her room and to her bed. No cards, drawings or flowers decorate her room. There is no television.

In August 2003, Alexander T. Gimon, PhD., a clinical neurophysiologist in private practice said in an affidavit after reviewing various videotapes of Terri Schiavo interacting with her family (emphasis mine):

Depriving brain-damaged
patients of medical, physical, occupational, recreational and speech-language
therapy is both neglect and abusive. By denying such patients the
stimulation provided by enjoying a variety of visitors, such common comforts as
cards and flowers in her room, and the opportunity to leave her room, their
cognitive functioning is necessarily depressed from what it would otherwise
be. Given the neglect which Terri has suffered and the number of years
over which it has occurred, it is striking that her current cognitive
functioning is as strong and varied in expression as it is. This
indicates that sufficient brain structure exists for further cognitive and
behavioral progress to be made. Terri is an excellent subject for a variety
of cognitive treatment protocols designed to improve her neurological function,
including neuroaerobics, physical therapy, recreational / occupational therapy,
and speech-language therapy.

After describing in detail many responses he saw in these videotapes, he concludes:

The above behaviors are all
indicative of cognition and (with the exception of pupil dilation) are
volitional in nature. They are completely inconsistent with a diagnosis
of vegetative state. Terri’s condition cannot be considered persistent because
she has obviously improved over the term of her disability, despite the fact
that she has not received physical therapy, speech therapy, cognitive therapy
or occupational / recreational therapy in many years.

For evidence of Terri's potential improvement, were she given speech therapy, Dr. Gimon states:

The Schindler family relates
that, during the interval immediately after the October, 2002 hearing held in
this case and the time of this recording, that, having been inspired by the
interactions noted in the Hammesfahr examination, they undertook to encourage
Terri to vocalize more, and encouraged her to say the word “yeah” as a way of
answering “yes.” Although they had previously heard Terri use the
“uh-huh” and “ugh-ugh” sounds, they had never heard her say “yeah” since her
collapse. At the time of the recording, Terri clearly had added this word
to her repertoire, and uses it meaningfully to answer questions, although there
is no basis to conclude that she is able to answer in the affirmative this
manner in any consistent, reliable manner. This learned behavior, under
the guidance of laypersonssuggests that Terri could perhaps make much greater
strides in her ability to communicate if she were permitted to receive
professional cognitive therapy, including most especially speech-language
therapy.

How is it that the State of Florida allows Michael Schiavo, Terri's estranged husband and legal guardian, to deny Terri environmental stimulations, personal interactions, and professional therapy, even when professionals, such as Dr. Gimon say such denial is neglect and abuse? How can it be that this man, who no longer lives as her husband (He lives with a woman whom he calls his fiance, with whom he has fathered children.), and demonstrates such emotional detachment from Terri that he can visit her with this other woman, and deny her these basic enhancements to her quality of life, is allowed to continue as her guardian? If one of the purposes of the civil government is to protect the innocent, where is that protection for Terri Schiavo?